New Delhi: Largely on expected lines, NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind was elected today as the 14
th President of India, winning over seven lakh votes. The opposition found solace with Meira Kumar securing the second highest number of votes that a runner up ever got.

“Gladdened by the extensive support for Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji among MPs and across various states. I thank members of the electoral college,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. He also called Kovind to congratulate him in person.

Meira Kumar got 3,67,314 votes, which amounted to 34.35 percent. However, there were many instances of cross voting, mostly in favour of Ram Nath Kovind.

The Congress has significant reason to worry, especially in election-bound Gujarat. Here, Congress has 57 MLAs but Meira Kumar got only 49 votes. Similarly, in Goa, while Congress has 16 MLAs, Meira Kumar got only 11 votes. Two votes were found invalid here and it seems at least three Congress MLAs voted in favour of Ram Nath Kovind.

In West Bengal too, the BJP managed to make a minor dent in the opposition vote. Here they have only three legislators of their own and their ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has another three. However instead of six they got a total of 11 votes here.

The BJP’s effort to mop up every vote from opposition camp however did not work every where. In Kerala, for example, the BJP strategists had boastfully predicted they will get six votes; however they got only one vote: from lone legislator O Rajagopal.

In Bihar, the opposition’s appeal for conscience voting — especially from JD (U) legislators after Nitish Kumar broke ranks — did not have any impact. The vote distribution here between Meira Kumar and Ram Nath Kovind remained as per each side’s strength in the legislature.

Notwithstanding the cross voting, the opposition seemed pleased with the results. “BJP, who claimed that they will get 70 percent of votes, should examine why they got only 65.65 percent votes. I also want to place it on record that this is the second highest votes secured by a runner-up candidate. Importantly, six of the previous Presidents have got cumulatively higher number of votes and percentage. So it is an eye opener for those who are arrogating only on numbers,” Congress Media In-Charge, Randeep Surjewala said.

Kumar too said that this by no means an end. “I want to make it very clear that today, on 20
th July 2017, my battle for ideology doesn’t end, it will continue,” she told reporters after the results were declared.

Regardless of Congress' claim that Kovind’s victory is less than spectacular, BJP President Amit Shah lost no time in calling it a “truly historic victory”. “The election of Shri Ram Nath Kovind is a victory for the poor, downtrodden and marginalised and their aspirations,” Shah said.